Dual belt mail conveying systems



' March 13, 1956 PERSsON ETAL 2,737,885

DUAL. BELT MAIL CONVEYING SYSTEMS Filed Feb. 27, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 J k I WINVENTOR BYW'AI#W 13 M 1. 3401. 7,

March 13, 1956 E. PERSSON ETAL DUAL BELT MAIL CONVEYING SYSTEMS 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Feb. 27, 1952 INVEN*T0 R;J (YA/mi: 60W BY W 5f 461,

March 13, 1956 E. PERSSON ETAL DUAL BELT MAIL CONVEYING SYSTEMS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Feb. 27, 1952 VENTORS March 13, 1956 E. PERSSON ETAL 2,737,885

DUAL BELT MAIL CONVEYING SYSTEMS Filed Feb. 2'7, 1952 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 S IEVENTOR'J Y mauwui. 6%

b m 1 I United States Patent DUAL BELT MAIL CONVEYING SYSTEMS Ernest Persson, New York, and Millard L. Beyer, Hempstead, N. Y., assignors to International Postal Supply Company, Brooklyn, N. Y., a corporation of New York 1 Application February 27, 1952, Serial No. 273,630

17 Claims. (Cl. 101-236) This invention relates to a machine for handling mail and the like, and more particularly to an automatic multiple device for cancelling and stacking simultaneously a plurality of different kinds of mail, such as extra long envelopes of varying thickness and envelopes of conventional length.

An object of the invention is the provision of a combined cancelling and stacking machine of simple and durable construction adapted to operate over long periods of time with little or no attention from skilled mechanical maintenance personnel.

It has been customary in large post offices to separate manually the long envelopes from the short and standard sized envelopes and then feed manually separate batches of each type of envelope to separate cancelling machines because the stacking device, adjusted for long envelopes associated with the cancelling machine, does not readily stack short envelopes. Accordingly, a feature of the invention is the provision of a multiple cancelling stacking machine, having a further feature of a magazine or storage mechanism belt fed automatically from a sorting table which stores momentarily batches of envelopes fed thereto in bunches at a rate in excess of the momentary capacity of the machine, and which is effective to feed the envelopes one at a time at a maximum rate to the cancelling and stacking apparatus without human intervention. A device of the kind disclosed herein is capable of cancelling and stacking two thousand letters per minute.

Other features and objects of the invention will be found in the following description given with the aid of the accompanying drawings, of which:

Figs. 1 and 1A, taken together, show a plan view of a preferred embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 2 is an elevational view, partly in section, the section being taken through 2-2 of Figs. 1 and 1A, showing particularly certain feed rollers with their universal jointed driving connections, one of the stacker star wheels, the adjustable separator guide, and a portion in section of a horizontal feed belt;

Fig. 3 is a section taken through 3-3 of Fig. 1, showing details of the mechanism associated with a lever for adjusting the stacker for envelopes of different lengths;

Fig. 4 is a section taken through 4-4 of Fig. 1A;

Fig. 5 shows a mechanism for adjusting a felt ink roller; I

Fig. 6 shows details of a trip lever mechanism which initiatesv the rotation of the associated printing or cancelling die; p j v Fig. 7 is a plan view showing details of a mechanism for adjusting the position of a separator roller;

Fig. 8 shows in elevation a portionvof an adjustable separator guide in relation to the separator roller adjusting mechanism of Fig. 7; and

Fig. 9 shows a feed and separator roller assembly,

together with a bracket, partly in section, provided with a mechanism for supporting and adjusting the separator guide with respect to the associated separator roller.

The device will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings. In connection with the description it will be understood that with the exception of the printing dies which aredriven by friction or other suitable impositive clutches, the respective shafts are preferably driven by suitable gearing from a common source of power, not shown, in order that the shafts and the parts driven thereby turn in predetermined fixed relation to each other.

In large post ofiices it is customary to dump bags of mail on large sorting tables where long envelopes and short envelopes are separated manually from the rest of the contents of the mail bags preliminary to cancelling the stamps. In some installations, the sorting tables are provided with a belt running along one edge which carries the envelopes to a cancelling apparatus. For reasons which will be explained further on, the short and long envelopes are cancelled separately through successive operations.

The present invention provides an arrangement for cancelling both long and short envelopes simultaneously by the apparatus now to be described.

Referring to Figs. 1 and 1A, which show a horizontal belt 10 extending along one edge of a mail sorting table: Belt 10 is narrow and inset into a depression or trough providing side walls of suflicient height to support the envelopes so that they are carried along by the belt, singly or in groups, on one of their longer edges. The envelopes are dropped onto the belt with the edge adjacent the stamp resting on the belt, the envelopes being positioned with the stamps toward their leading edges in order that the cancellation mark may be subsequently imprinted upon the stamp.

The present embodiment of the invention contemplates handling both long and short envelopes at the same time, and for this reason a horizontal strip or web 12 is mounted so as to extend along belt 10 to divide the belt into two portions 13 and 14 for short and long envelopes, respectively. Strip 12 is wide enough to hold the envelopes approximately upright so that the edge of the envelope is engaged by belt 10. Long envelopes are manually placed as already described on the part 14 of belt 10, While short envelopes are similarly placed on the portion 13, the belt carrying the envelopes toward the left of the drawing as shown in Fig. 1A.

On opposite sides of belt 10 arms 15 and 16 mounted on pivots 17 and 18 and lightly spring pressed in the direction of their respective stop posts 19 and 20 extend into the paths of envelopes carried by sections 13 and 14 of belt 10, and tend to maintain the envelopes carried by the belt in a general edgewise position.

The vertical web or separator 12 terminates at its left hand end in a pair of deflector plates 26 and 27 partially overlying a second relatively wide horizontal belt 28, plates 26 and 27 being spaced at their outer ends for deflecting envelopes which are fed at rather high velocity by belt 10 toward vertical belts 29 and 30 which overlie opposite edge portions of horizontal belt 28.

Belt 28, together with certain cooperating parts now to be described, forms a pair of storage magazines, one for long envelopes and the other for short or small envelopes, which respectively receive the different type envelopes, either singly or in bunches, from belt 10 and aid in feeding the envelopes one at a time to respective cancelling and stacking mechanisms. Belt 28 is mounted on suitable rollers 48 and 49 as shown in Figs. 2 and 4, respectively.

The stacking, endorsing and feeding mechanisms, together with pulleys 35 and 36 for a relatively narrow V-belt 30, and also pulleys 37 and 38 for a similar V-belt 29, are mounted on suitable vertical shafts positioned. respectively in pairs on opposite sides of horizontal belt 28, the narrow V-belts being positioned so that one length of each belt overlies an edge portion of belt28f, and are driven in the same direction. The narrow belts are spaced above belt 28 so that they engage approximately the mid-section of an ordinary envelope.

A bracket 41 attached to base plate (see Fig. 2) carries a rather wide horizontal arm or vertical plate 42 which extends over, but clear of, the upper surface of belt 28, dividing the belt effectively into two longitudinal portions 43 and 44, the former, for the purposes of the present description, being used to handle long envelopes, while the part 44 of the belt is used for feeding short or conventional letter-size envelopes.

A pair of deflector or stop arms 45 and 46, formed at an angle to the arm 42 of bracket 41, serves to arrest momentarily groups of envelopes urged by belt 28 toward the left of Fig. 1A of the drawings, the arms being slanted in the direction of feeding mechanism, to be described, to cooperate with other elements in feeding the envelopes thereto.

Referring to Figs. 1A and 4, arm 42 carries a plurality of pairs of hinged deflector plates, two pairs being shown in the drawing indicated by reference characters 51 and 5253, supported respectively on pivot pins 54 and 55 fastened to arm 42. The arms are attached to a hinge arrangement; in the case of arms 56 and 51 they are secured respectively to hinge plates 60 and 61 which turn on pivot pin 54. Hinge plate 60 is formed with a tail piece 62, while plate 61 is provided with a tail piece 63. The tail pieces engage opposite sides of a wedge shaped projection formed on arm 42, which serves to prevent the outer ends of deflector plates 50 and 51 from quite engaging the surface of belts 29 and 30, respectively. Opposite arms of a light spring 65 disposed about pivot 54, Fig. 4, engage spring plates 69 and 61. Spring 65 is tensioned to move deflector plates 50 and 51, respectively, toward belts 29 and 30. Deflector plates 52 and 53 are similarly mounted and, therefore, need not be described in detail.

The apparatus just described provides a single automatic arrangement for feeding envelopes simultaneously to a pair of endorsing machines which is adequate to take care of a large sorting table directly, doubling effectively the capacity of former devices, thereby expediting the handling of mail and resulting in a considerable saving of labor.

The overall belt arrangement feeds the envelopes singly or in bunches in accordance with the way they are deposited on belt 10 toward two endorsing and cancelling machines having at their respective inputs separator mechanisms effective to feed envelopes thereinto one at a time.

The description of the respective endorsing and stacking machines where they differ appreciably will be given separately, but first portions of a separator apparatus which is common in some aspects to both endorsing machines will be described. Part of this separator apparatus includes an adjustable guard arrangement mounted upon a bracket 70 supported by base 40, Figs. 1A, 2 and 9. The bracket projects upward through an opening in a horizontal plate 71, serving to enclose some of the driving mechanism as well as supporting some of the parts of the endorsing machine.

Bracket 70 carries symmetrically arranged, oppositely disposed arms '72 and 73 which are horizontally adjustable by knurled rings 74 and 75, Figs. 1A and 9.

From this point onward until further notice the description will be directed to the upper endorsing apparatus to avoid unnecessary duplication of description.

A vertical guide strip 81), Figs. 1 and 1A, is attached near one end to a bracket formed with a horizontal lug 81 which is pivoted on stud 82 to plate 71.

Referring to Figs. 1, 1A, 7 and 8, guide strip is cut away at 82 to clear the top of a roller 114, and some distance further on is slotted at 84, and curved at 85 1n accordance with the contour of roller 83 and thereafter formed with a straight section 86 terminating in a step 87 Whlch is engaged y a pin 88 secured at one end of the adjustable arm 72. Roller 83 is driven in a clockwise direction and cooperates with a roller 111 also driven in a clockwise direction for feeding envelopes one at a time from a bunch of envelopes, as will be explained.

Pin 38 is held in engagement with step 87 by a flat spring 96 having a fixture 91 at one end engaging the outer corner of step 87. Spring is adjustably tensioned by variably bowing the same by placing the opposite end of the spring between desired teeth of a saw-tooth rack 92 attached to bracket 70.

The mechanism just described provides an easily adjustable arrangement for guide strip 80 which permits one end to be easily detached from its support to permit replacement of the usual rubber tire or band on the periphery of roller 83.

In order to take care of batches of envelopes of varying thickness and to compensate for wear of roller 83, the roller spindle 94 is provided with an adjustably positionable support shown in Figs. 1A, 7, and 8, by which the roller 83 may be adjusted relative to guide strip 80.

A bar 95 is secured to guide strip 80 immediately below slot 84, Figs. 7 and 8. Near one end, a lug or pin projects outward, horizontally at right angles to bar 95. The bar also holds a threaded stud 101. Shaft 94 for roller 83 turns in a suitable bearing carried by a bracket 102 adjustably supported by bar 95 in the following manner:

Bracket 102,'Fig. 7, has a slotted arm which rides on pin 1%. The bracket is formed with a central opening through which the threaded stud 101 extends. The opening has a slot 103 communicating therewith for a disc 104 fixed on stud 1411 which retains the bracket in position on the spindle. A thumb nut 1G5, fixed to the outer end of stud 101, is used to adjust bracket 102 and shaft 94 carried thereby. Shaft 94 is driven from the source of power for the machine.

Referring to Figs. 1A and 9, belt 30 is in alignment with the center line or bite of roller 83 and cooperating feed roller 111, both of these rollers being provided with suitable soft rubber bands about their periphery.

Envelopes fed from the belt system already described are guided by belt 39 and arms 50 and 52 toward the left of the drawing as shown in Fig. 1A. When the envelopes are in bunches, momentarily in excess of the present capacity of the endorsing machine, they deflect arms 59 and 52 in a counter-clockwise position, the arms serving to hold the envelopes upright on their edges with light spring-pressure until the envelopes are extracted one by one and the accumulation exhausted.

The belt system urges the bunch of envelopes toward the left of the drawing where the movement of the lowermost portion of the group will be temporarily arrested by fixed stop arm 45 while some of the uppermost will engage the curved part 85 of guide strip 89, while a few of the others of the upper part of the group contact the rubber periphery of roller 83. The latter roller turns in a clockwise direction as indicated by the arrow thereon and tends to move envelopes engaged thereby toward the right of the drawing. Roller 83, therefore, is effective to yieldingly restrain all but the uppermost envelope momentarily from further movement toward the left. The upper cooperating feed roller 111, however, also turns in a clockwise direction and engages the upper side of the topmost envelope and propels it toward the left of the drawing in the direction of the endorsing machine, When this latter envelope has cleared rollers 83 and 111, the rubber tire 112 of roller 111 then engages the topmost surface of the next succeeding envelope and propels it toward the left of Fig. 1A and so on as long as envelopes are fed into the device. By this arrangement, envelopes are rapidly and automatically fed one at a time to the endorsing machine. The rollers 111 and 83 are driven by suitable gearing, not shown, in fixed relation with the endorsing and stacking apparatus.

The envelopes are directed by guide strip to a pair of feed rollers 113 and 114, which advance the successive envelopes toward the left of the drawing of Fig. l' as indicated by the arrows thereon.

The spindles of rollers 113 and 114 are yieldingly mounted on movable spring pressed arms to take care of envelopes of dilferent thicknesses, roller 114 being mounted on a spindle in arm 115 which is mounted on stud 82. i

Another pair of pressure rollers and 121 are mounted on spindles 122 and 123, respectively. Spindle 122 is mounted on a rather long arm 124, pivoted at one end to plate 71 by a 'stud, not shown. A spring 125 having one arm detachably secured in a bracket at 126 and the opposite end pressing against arm 124 holds roller 121 in yielding engagement with roller 1211. Spindle 122 is driven from asource of power which operates the machine.

The envelopes are fed from the pressure rollers just referred to so as to pass between a platen roller 129 mounted in a bracket 130 and a cooperating printing and cancelling die 131 indicated in plan view in Fig. l as a circle 131. V

Cancelling die 131, and the supporting bracket and tripping mechanism therefor, are known structures fully described in U. S. Patent No. 2,516,721, issued July 25,

1950, and in U. S. Patent No. 2,693,754, issued November 9, 1954; therefore, only a brief description thereof will be given here.

Die 131 is a cylindrical structure carrying raised type or other data. In the present instance, an arrangement for printing a cancelling mark over the postage stamps of the respective envelopes, together with any other data desired by the post oflice, is formed on a suitable printing surface carried by the die.

Die 131 is provided with a depending spindle 'detachably attached to the driven member of a friction clutch, these members being well known and not shown. Driving power is furnished by the driving motor of the machine, also not shown.

Referring to Fig. 6, on the top of the die 131 aroller 132 of substantial size is supported for rotation. This roller cooperates with another roller 129 mounted in one end of a stop lever 133 pivoted at 134 to the under side of a bracket 135, Figs. 1 and 6, detachably clamped to round upright pins 137 and 138 by a thumb screw 139 which extends through the bracket. With this arrangement the bracket and printing die 131 may be readily removed from the machine for cleaning.

A link is pivoted to the opposite endof lever 133 and the other end of this link is pivoted at 146 to the lower end of a trip lever 147. The trip lever is pivoted at 148 to one end of a lever 149 which initially serves as a fulcrum for the trip lever. Lever 149, however, is pivoted at 150 to a. projection frorn'bracket 135. The opposite end of lever 149 is normally retained against a stop 169 by a spring 161.

The pivots of rollers 132, 129 and lever 133 are normally disposed in substantially the-same straight line when in a position of rest. Therefore, only a slight pressure from an envelope against the upper end portion 166 of the trip lever is sufiicient to cause a slight turning movement of the latter on its pivot 148 in a counterclockwise direction which will rock lever 133 on its pivot 134 in a counterclockwise direction sufiiciently to upset the aligned arrangement of the centers of rollers 132 and 129 with that of fulcrum pin 134 of lever 133. The pressure exerted by the friction clutch, not shown, on die 131 will cause roller 132 to cam roller 129 out of its path and the die 131 will turn for one revolution, irrespective of the length of the envelope. The latter will deflect the end 166 of the trip lever downward and toward the left, and roller 129 immediately is restored into the path of roller 132 by means of spring 167, Fig. 1, attached to lever 133. This operation is possible because once arm 166. is

tripped by an envelope, say a long envelope, the envelope overrides the end of the trip lever, causing it to depress one end of its supporting lever 149 by turning it momentarily in a clockwise direction on its fulcrum 150 against the tension of its spring 161. On passing of the respective envelopes between the die 131 and platen 129 it will be understood that since the various rollers turn by interconnected gearing, not shown, necessarily rotating in fixed relation, a cancellation mark will be printed at a fixed predetermined position from the leading edge of each of the respective envelopes passing therethrough.

The trip and endorsing mechanism has the further efiiect of advancing the envelopes through the machine in predetermined spaced relation.

After passing through the endorsing apparatus the envelopes, now travelling rapidly in spaced relation, are fed along toward the left of the machine by cooperating feed rollers 1'70 and 171, the latter being a driven roller, along a guide strip 172 to a stacking apparatus which includes a star wheel 173 suitably driven by gears, not shown, to turn with the feed rollers already described.

The recesses in the star wheel 173 are arranged to receive the leading edges of one envelope at a time when the projection of the next following tooth kicks the envelope outward away from the star wheel, and thereafter the next succeeding depression in like manner receives the leading edge of the next following envelope which is kicked outward by the projection forming the following tooth. With this arrangement a stack of envelopes is formed rapidly and a basket-like arrangement formed of a series of spaced horizontal rods 175 is provided to receive the stack.

The envelopes are kept supported resting on their edges by a fixed support plate 176 and a cooperating movable support plate 177, not shown in connection with supporting plate 176, but illustrated in connection with the stacking arrangement in the lower part of Fig. 1.

Supporting plate 177 is formed from a strip of metal fastened to a generally U-shaped bracket 178 having widely spaced, relatively short arms 179 and 180 perforated to slide on the outermost bar 175 of the basket. Initially when a basket of the type described is manually emptied of a stack of cancelled envelopes, bracket 178 is moved the maximum distance in the direction of the associated star wheel, and the spacing with respect to its cooperating stationary bracket is such that even single envelopes will be kept standing on one edge. As successive envelopes are fed through the device the successive kicks of the star wheel teeth impart pressure to supporting plate 177, forcing the latter away from the star wheel associated therewith as the thickness of the stack of envelopes increases.

Referring back to the embodiment of the stacking device shown at the top of Fig. l, and also to the stacking arrangement drawn below, the baskets composed of rods 175 in each instance have stop brackets independently displaceable manually with respect to the rest of the machine when it is desired to make adjustments for stacking envelopes in specific size groups. The mechanism for displacing and retaining in position. the stop bracket shown at the top of Fig. 1 will now be described.

The upper basket apparatus comprising rods 175 is provided with a relatively movable bracket overlying its outer left hand edge adaptedto'be engaged by the left hand ends of the respective envelopes for the purpose of holding the same in alignment. Bracket 185 is mounted on an adjustable sliding plate 200.

A second upright bracket 186 is formed with a horizontal section 187 projecting upright from a stationary plate of the upper surface of the machine generally indicated as 190.

Bracket 186 supports on a pivot pin 195, Fig. 3, a tiltable locking handle 196 provided with a lower horizontal portion terminating in a depending pin 197. This arrangement is shown substantially in Fig. 3 which, how'- ever, is drawnas a sectional showing of the lowerstacking mechanism, not yet described. A spring 198 tends to turn the handle 196 in a clockwise direction and thereby hold the pin 197 in its lowermost position. Pin 197 is shaped to fit freely into any of a series of holes formed in a movable strip 200 which supports the envelope stop bracket assembly 185. Strip 200 overlies one of the top plates 190 of the machine as shown in Fig. 3. The arrangement just described permits the stop bracket assembly to be positioned as desired within limited distances with respect to star wheel 173 in accordance with the holes 199 provided in strip 200. A bent flat plate 205 fastened to the movable bracket 185 by screws 206 cooperates with guide 176 to fill in the gap at the left hand end thereof when the bracket 185 is moved to the left of the position shown in the drawings.

The mechanism for inking die 131 is probably conventional, but to give a better understanding of the drawings a brief description will be given of the same.

An ink tank 300 is detachably secured to the structure by thumb screw 301. Through a suitable channel, not shown, an inker wheel 302 is coated with ink from the ink tank (kindly refer to Figs. 1 and 5). In operation, the inker wheel 302 rides against a felt surfaced wheel 303 which engages and supplies a suitable amount of ink to the surface of the printing die roller 131.

In order to adjust the relative position of the ink roller 303 with respect to the ink tank 300 and die 131, the following mechanism is provided:

Ink roller 303 is mounted on one arm 304 of a lever 305 pivoted at the lower part of upright pin 137. The opposite arm 307 of the lever has a notch 308 formed on it. A pin 309 disposed in one arm 310 of a lever 311 is eccentrically pivoted to the lower part of upright pin 138. An eccentric 316 is operated by a hand lever 317 disposed underneath, but clear of bracket 135, which detachably supports the trip and endorsing apparatus. Hand lever 317 is movably secured in any position in arcuate track 318 by thumbscrew 319 in accordance with the degree of inking desired. It will be seen from Fig. 5 that by adjusting arm 317 the felt wheel 303 can be moved into or out of contact with the die 131, or the adjustment in connection with both the die 131 or the felt wheel 303 can be varied at will without disturbing the rest of the machine.

The cancelling machine shown at the lower side of Figs. 1 and 1A is substantially about the same as that already described. It comprises a stop arm 46, a vertical guide strip 325, which is pivoted at 326. The guide strip is slotted in the same manner as that shown in Fig. 4,

but it will be understood that some of the parts of the lower cancelling apparatus are of the reverse construction as those for the upper, being a mirror image thereof as it were.

The guide strip 325 is curved about the periphery of separator wheel 327, and this wheel is mounted for adjustment through the slot in guide strip 325 by the nut 323. Adjustable arm 73 of the bracket 70 regulates the position of pin 324 which engages the bent portion or step 329 formed at the end of guide strip 325. This pin, together with a bowed fiat spring 330, held at one end adjustably by a saw-toothed rack 335 and secured to the step 329 at the opposite end of the rail or guide step 329 by an assembly 336, presses step 329 against pin 324 and holds the same detachably in place. It will be noted that a short curved piece 337 is found in both separator assemblies disposed alongside strips 80 and 325. This is merely a strip riveted to the strips just mentioned for the purpose of reinforcing the same.

Cooperating pressure rollers 340 and 341 turn in such direction as to feed the envelopes to cooperating pressure rollers 342 and 343. Underneath the latter a trip lever 344 adapted to actuate the endorsing die by the leading edges of the envelope is disposed.

Trip lever 344 and its associated parts actuate die 345 driven by a friction clutch, the assembly being detachably secured to thestructure by bracket 346. Some of these parts are not shown.

A suitable platen 350 cooperates with die 345. The envelopes cancelled by die 345, are propelled toward the left to pressure rollers 351 and 352, referring to Fig. 2 for the latter. Pressure roller 352, an idler roller, is provided with an elongated combined dust cover and finger guard 353, and in this way differs from the embodiment already described at the upper part of the sheet. Finger guard 353 is fastened by screws 354 to horizontal arm 355 secured by pivot 356 to an upper plate 357 of the machine, as shown in Fig. 2.

Star wheel 360 is supported on a shaft having fixed bearings and is driven in fixed relation with other rotary elements just described by a known horizontal gear train, not shown.

The lower cancelling apparatus just briefly referred to is designed to be adjusted to cancel short or conventional length envelopes or those of considerable length. The mechanism for positioning the lower envelope stop bracket 182 with respect to the lower rack generally designated by the reference character 363 and star wheel 360 is similar to that already described, and the apparatus therefor is shown in Fig. 3 which comprises a lever 364 for locking the stop bracket 182 in desired positions with respect to star wheel 360 in accordance with the length of the envelopes being processed.

A simple mechanism is described above for feeding envelopes from a common conveyor or conveyor system to a pair of cancelling machines, which provides an output of cancelled envelopes from a single sorting table of at least double that of former machines. An arrangement is provided for feeding out envelopes uniformly from a magazine or storing device which takes care of envelopes arriving in bunches momentarily in excess of the capacity of the cancelling apparatus. The device generally speeds up handling of mail and eliminates entirely many of the manual operations required in connection with the operation of former equipment of the kind.

What is claimed is:

1. In a conveyor apparatus for a mail cancelling machine or the like having belt means mounted to run longitudinally at the edge of a mail sorting table for conveying alongside the table long and short envelopes resting on their edges manually deposited according to length on separated portions of the belt, means disposed at the end of the belt means for receiving and momentarily storing while maintaining separated bunches of long and short envelopes comprising a horizontal belt disposed in substantially coplanar relation with the belt means, an upright plate supported to overlie the mid-portion of the belt to divide it into two longitudinal sections, one for long envelopes and the other for short envelopes, a pair of fixed stop arms symmetrically mounted at the end of the plate near the exit end of the belt extending horizontally respectively part way toward the side edges of the belt adapted to be engaged by the leading edges of bunched envelopes momentarily, a pair of pulleys disposed adjacent each of the opposite edges of the belt mounted on vertical shafts, relatively narrow belts mounted on each of the respective pairs of pulleys having their inner runs overlying respective edge portions of the horizontal belt and travelling in the same direction, a plurality of pressure arms pivoted about vertical axes to the upright plate symmetrically arranged on opposite sides thereof, spring means for the arms tending to pass lightly the free ends of the arms in the direction of the adjacent narrow belt, and separate envelope feeding means each comprising feed roller means mounted to turn about vertical axes beyond the ends of the stop arms and beyond the end of the horizontal belt in substantial alignment with said runs of the respective narrow belts which cooperate with the pressure arms for feeding respective envelopes to the feedroller means from those that may have been momentarily restrained from advancing by the stop arms.

2. A mail conveying apparatus according to claim 1 in which the feed roller means comprise a pair of slightly spaced cooperating rollers driven in the same direction, the bite of the rollers being in substantial alignment with the run of the associated narrow belt overlying the edge portion of the horizontal belt.

3. A mail conveying apparatus for a dual letter cancelling machine fed by belt means running along a mail sorting table arranged with a pair of separated longitudinal sections for conveying to a cancelling device manually separated long and short envelopes manually deposited on their edges either singly or in bunches on the appropriate section of the belt means, the improvement which comprises an arrangement for storing momentarily envelopes received from the belt means when the number received is momentarily in excess of the immediate capacity of the cancelling machine to process the same, said improvement including a substantially coplanar, flat, horizontal belt common to both sections of the belt means arranged at the end thereof for receiving envelopes travelling on one of their longer edges from the belt means, means for maintaining the long and short envelopes separated and upright including a common vertical plate extending along the mid-section of the horizontal belt for substantially the length thereof, a pair of relatively narrow belts turning about vertical axes and having runs running in the same direction as the horizontal belt and so spaced respectively over the opposite edges of the horizontal belt so as to be aligned with approximately the mid-section of an envelope carried by the horizontal belt, a plurality of hinged pressure plates pivoted about vertical axes to the vertical plate lightly spring loaded and extending in a slanting direction toward one or the other of the narrow belts into the path of the respective groups of long and short envelopes received by the horizontal belt for the purpose of maintaining the edgewise travel of single envelopes or groups of envelopes and urging the same in the direction of the adjacent narrow belt as the envelopes are advanced, and separate means disposed beyond each section of the horizontal belt aligned with the above mentioned run of each narrow belt for feeding the envelopes one at a time to respective devices for printing cancellation marks on long and short envelopes.

4. A mail conveying apparatus according to claim 3 in which the envelopes are arranged on the belt means manually with the stamps in the same relative position near the leading edge of the envelopes, an intermittently operated device for printing cancellation marks on the stamps, means for feeding the envelopes one at a time to the cancelling device, and a trip lever positioned in the path of the envelopes in advance of the printing device for initiating the operation of the printing device at a predetermined time whereby all cancellation marks are printed a uniform distance from the leading edge of the envelopes.

5. A mail conveying apparatus according to claim 4 in which the vertical plate extending along the midsection of the horizontal belt is provided near the exit end of the horizontal belt with symmetrically arranged fixed stop arms which arrest momentarily the forward movement of the envelopes which come into engagement therewith when the number of envelopes being fed is momentarily in excessof the capacity of the cancelling device.

6. A mail conveying apparatus according to claim 5 in which the separate means disposed beyond each section of the narrow belt comprise two independent pairs of separator rollers so disposed that their respective bites are alined with respective runs of adjacent narrow belts for feeding envelopes one at a time in the direction of the associated cancelling die, and in which the stop arms slant symmetrically in the direction of v the separator rollers associated therewith.

7. A mail conveying apparatus according to claim 6 1-0 provided with a stacking mechanism driven in fixed relation to the envelope feed mechanism which arranges the long and short envelopes in separate stacks after being cancelled.

8. An envelope feeding apparatus having an arrangement for momentarily storing envelopes when they are being fed at intermittent times at a rate in excess of that of a processing device which comprises a fiat conveyor belt for envelopes an upright plate overlying the belt dividing it into two longitudinal channels, one for short envelopes and the other for long envelopes, two pairs of spaced pulleys mounted to turn on vertical axes, the pairs being disposed respectively alongside opposite edges of the belt, a f-belt mounted on each pair of pulleys, the V-belts being disposed with their inner runs overlying in spaced relation respective opposite edge portions of the flat belt and running in the same direction thus forming moving outer sides for both channels of the flat belt, a pair of sets of separator rollers respectively mounted beyond the eject end of the flat conveyor belt near opposite edges thereof with the bites of the roller sets substantially aligned with the inner run of the adjacent V-belt, a plurality of spring loaded pressure arms slanting in the direction of the movement of the belts hinged about vertical axes to the upright plate and extending toward one or the other of the V-belts adapted to yield when engaged by bunches of envelopes so that the envelopes are pressed by the arms in the direction of the V-belts, and a pair of fixed stop arms for arresting the forward movement of envelopes coming into engagement therewith mounted symmetrically near the eject end of the flat belt formed to slant in opposite directions in the same horizontal plane each toward one set of separator rollers, the ends of the arms being spaced from the adjacent V-belt to permit envelopes in engagement with the V-belts to pass by the ends of the arms to the associated set of separator rollers.

9. An envelope feeding apparatus for a dual cancelling and stacking apparatus for storing envelopes arriving in bunches momentarily in excess of the capacity of the cancelling machine which comprises a fiat belt for conveying envelopes ridin thereon on one of their longitudinal edges, a bracket mounted beyond the eject end of the belt, a fiat vertical plate supported by the bracket extending along the belt dividing it into two longitudinal channels respectively for long and short envelopes, two pairs of spaced pulleys mounted to turn about vertical axes, the pairs being disposed respectively alongside opposite edges of the belt, a V-belt mounted on each pair of pulleys, the V-belts being disposed with their inner runs overlying in spaced relationrespective opposite edge portions of the flat belt and running in the same direction thereby providing moving outer sides for both channels of the flat belt, a pair of sets of separator rollers respectively mounted beyond the eject end of the flat belt near opposite edges thereof with the bites of the separator rollers substantially aligned with the inner run of the adjacent V-belt, a plurality of spring loaded arms slanting in the direction of movement of the belts hinged to the upright plate on opposite sides thereof extending toward the adjacent V-belt adapted to yield according to the size of the bunches of envelopes being fed to hold the envelopes upright and press them in the direction of the associated V-belt and a pair of stop arms shorter than the pressure arms fixed to said bracket beyond the pressure arms respectively extending in the direction of the separator rollers for arresting momentarily the forward movement of the innermost of the larger bunches.

10. An envelope feeding apparatus for a dual cancelling and stacking apparatus for storing envelopes arriving in bunches momentarily in excess of the capacity of the cancelling machine which comprises a flat belt for conveying envelopes riding thereon on one of their longitudinal edges, a bracket disposed beyond the eject end of the belt, a flat vertical plate supported by the bracket extending along the belt dividing it into two longitudinal channels respectively for long and short envelopes, two pairs of spaced pulleys mounted to turn about vertical axes, the pairs being disposed respectively alongside opposite edges of the belt, a V-belt mounted on each pair of pulleys, the V-belts being disposed with their inner runs overlying in spaced relation respective opposite edge portions of the flat belt and running in the same direction thereby providing moving outer sides for both channels of the flat belt, a pair of sets of separator rollers respectively mounted beyond the eject end of the fiat belt near opposite edges thereof with the bites of the separator rollers substantially aligned with the inner run of the adjacent V-belt, a plurality of spring loaded pressure arms slanting in the direction of movement of the belts hinged to the upright plate on opposite sides thereof extending toward the adjacent V-belt adapted to yield according to the size of the bunches of envelopes being fed to hold the envelopes upright and press them in the direction of the associated -belt, a pair of stop arms shorter than the pressure arms fixed to said bracket beyond the pressure arms respectively extending in the direction of the separator rollers for arresting momentarily the forward movement of the innermost envelopes of the larger bunches, an intermittently operated printing device for cancelling stamps associated with each set of separator rollers and an envelope operated trip lever positioned in the path of the envelopes between the separator rollers and the printing device for initiating the operation of the printing device at a predetermined time after the operation of the trip lever.

11. An envelope feeding apparatus for a dual cancelling and stacking apparatus for storing envelopes arriving in bunches momentarily in excess of the capacity of the cancelling machine which comprises a flat belt for conveying envelopes riding thereon on one of their longitudinal edges, a bracket disposed beyond the eject end of the belt, a fiat vertical plate supported by the bracket extending along the belt dividing it into two longitudinal channels respectively for long and short envelopes, two pairs of spaced pulleys mounted to turn about vertical axes, the pairs being disposed respectively alongside opposite edges of the belt, a V-belt mounted on each pair of pulleys, the V -belts being disposed with their inner runs overlying in spaced relation respective opposite edge portions of the fiat belt and running in the same direction thereby providing moving outer sides for both channels of the flat belt, a pair of sets of separator rollers respectively mounted beyond the eject end of the flat belt near oppositeedges thereof for feeding the envelopes one at a time toward a cancelling device, the bites of the separator rollers being substantially aligned with the inner run of the adjacent V-belt, a plurality of spring loaded pressure arms slanting in the direction of movement of the belts hinged to the upright plate on opposite sides thereof extending toward the adjacent V-belt adapted to yield according to the side of the bunches of envelopes being fed to hold the envelopes upright and press them in the direction of the associated V-belt, a pair of stop arms shorter than the pressure arms respectively extendin in the direction of the separator rollers for arresting momentarily the forward movement of the innermost envelopes of the larger bunches, an intermittently operated printing device for cancelling stamps associated with each set of separator rollers, an envelope operated trip lever positioned in the path of the envelopes between the separator rollers and the printing device for initiating the operation of the printing device at a predetermined time after the operation of the trip lever and an envelope stacking device fed by each printing device operating in fixed relation therewith.

12. In a conveyor apparatus for a mail cancelling machine or the like having belt means mounted to run longitudinally at the edge of a mail sorting table for conveying alongside the table long and short envelopes resting on their edges manually deposited according to length on separated portions of the belt means, means disposed at the end of the belt means for receiving and momentarily storing while maintaining separated bunches of long and short envelopes comprising a horizontal belt disposed in substantially coplanar relation with the belt means, an upright plate supported to overlie the midportion of the horizontal belt to divide it into two longitudinal sections, one for long envelopes and the other for short envelopes, a pair of fixed stop arms symmetrically mounted at the end of the plate near the exit end of the belt extending horizontally respectively part way toward the side edges of the belt adapted to be engaged by the leading edges of bunched envelopes momentarily, a pair of pulleys disposed adjacent each of the opposite edges of the belt mounted on vertical shafts, relatively narrow belts mounted on each of the pairs of pulleys having their runs overlying respective edge portions of the horizontal belt and travelling in the same direction, a plurality of pressure arms pivoted about vertical axes to the upright plate symmetrically arranged on opposite sides thereof, spring means for the arms tending to press lightly the free ends of the arms in the direction of the adjacent narrow belt, separate envelope feeding means each comprising feed roller means mounted to turn about vertical axes beyond the ends of the stop arms and beyond the end of the horizontal belt in substantial alignment with the pressure arms for feeding respective envelopes to the feed roller means from those that may have been momentarily restrained from advancing by the stop arms, and a guard member partially enclosing one of the feed rollers formed with a slot through which a small arc of the latter feed roller extends for the purpose of cooperating therewith in driving back in a direction opposite that of the horizontal belt all envelopes engaged thereby except the envelope actually in engagement with the other roller of the pair.

13. in a conveyor apparatus for a mail cancelling machine or the like having a belt means mounted to run longitudinally at the edge of a mail sorting table for conveying long and short envelopes resting on their edges manually deposited according to length on separated portions of the belt means, means disposed at the end of the belt means for receiving and momentarily storing while mantaining separated bunches of long and short envelopes comprising a horizontal belt disposed in substantially coplanar relation with the belt means, an upright plate supported to overlie the mid-portion of the horizontal belt to divide it into two longitudinal sections, one for long envelopes and the other for short envelopes, a pair of fixed stop arms symmetrically mounted at the end of the plate near the exit end of the belt extending horizontally respectively part way toward the adjacent edges of the belt adapted to be engaged by the leading edges of bunched envelopes momentarily, a pair of pulleys disposed adjacent each of the opposite edges of the belt mounted on vertical shafts, relatively narrow belts mounted on each of the respective pairs of pulleys having their runs overlying respective edge portions of the horizontal belt and travelling in the same direction, a plurality of pressure arms pivoted about vertical axes to the upright plate symmetrically arranged on opposite sides thereof, spring means for the arms tending to press lightly the free ends of the arms in the direction of the adjacent narrow belt, separate envelope feeding means each comprising feed roller means mounted to turn about vertical axes beyond the ends of the stop arms and beyond the end of the horizontal belt in substantial alignment with the pressure arms for feeding respective envelopes to the feed roller means from those that may have been momentarily restrained from advancing by the stop arms, a guard member partially enclosing one of the feed rollers formed with a slot through which a small, arc of the latter feed roller extends for the purpose of cooperating therewith in driving back in a direction opposite that of the horizontal belt all envelopes engaged thereby except the envelope actually in engagement with the other roller of the pair, and portions of the guard members of the respective feed roller means extending beyond the stop arms for arresting smaller envelope groups which are not bulky enough to engage the stop arms.

14. In a conveyor apparatus for a mail cancelling machine or the like having belt means mounted to run longitudinally at the edge of a mail sorting table for conveying long and short envelopes resting on their edges manually deposited according to length on separated portions of the belt means, means disposed at the end of the belt means for receiving and momentarily storing while maintaining separated bunches of long and short envelopes comprising a horizontal belt disposed in substantially coplanar relation with the belt means, an upright plate supported to overlie the mid-portion of the horizontal belt to divide it into two longitudinal sections, one for long envelopes and the other for short envelopes, a pair of fixed stop arms symmetrically mounted at the end of the plate near the exit end of the belt extending horizontally respectively part way toward the side edges of the belt adapted to be engaged by the leading edges of bunched envelopes momentarily, a pair of pulleys disposed adjacent each of the opposite edges of the belt mounted on vertical shafts, relatively narrow belts mounted on each of the respective pairs of pulleys having their runs overlying respective edge portions of the horizontal belt and travelling in the same direction, a plurality of pressure arms pivoted about vertical axes to the upright plate symmetrically arranged on opposite sides thereof, spring means for the arms tending to press lightly the free ends of the arms in the direction of the adjacent narrow belt, separate envelope feeding means each comprising feed roller means mounted to turn about vertical axes beyond the ends of the stop arms and beyond the end of the horizontal belt in substantial alignment with the pressure arms for feeding respective envelopes to the feed roller means from those that may have been momentarily restrained from advancing by the stop arms, a guard member partially enclosing one of the feed rollers formed with a slot through which a small arc of the latter feed roller extends for the purpose of cooperating therewith in driving back in a direction opposite that of the horizontal belt all envelopes engaged thereby except the envelope actually in engagement with the other roller of the pair, portions of the guard members of the respective feed roller means extending beyond the stop arms for arresting smaller envelope groups which are not bulky enough to engage the stop arms, a bracket mounted beyond the adjoining part of the stop arms, members symmetrically arranged and extending from opposite sides of the bracket alongside the stop arms, means formed near the outer ends of the members each for retaining one end of the guard members for the respective feed roller means and independent threaded members for adjusting the spacing of the ends of the members with respect to the bracket and thereby adjusting the relative position of the guard with respect to its cooperating roller.

15. In a conveyor apparatus for a mail cancelling machine or the like having belt means mounted to run longitudinally at the edge of a mail sorting table for conveying long and short envelopes resting on their edges manually deposited according to length on separated portions of the belt means, means disposed at the end of the belt means for receiving and momentarily storing while maintaining separated bunches of long and short envelopes comprising a horizontal belt disposed in substantially coplanar relation with the belt means, an upright plate supported to overlie the'mid-portion'of the horizontal belt to divide it into two longitudinal sections,

one for long envelopes and the other for short envelopes, P

a pair of fixed stop arms symmetrically mounted at the end of the plate near the exit end of the belt extending horizontally respectively part way toward the side edges of the belt adapted to be engaged by the leading edges of bunched envelopes momentarily, a pair of pulleys disposed adjacent each of the opposite edges of the belt mounted on vertical shafts, relatively narrow belts mounted on each of the respective pairs of pulleys having runs overlying respective edge portions of the horizontal belt and travelling in the same direction, a plurality of pressure arms pivoted about vertical axes to the upright plate symmetrically arranged on opposite sides thereof, spring means for the arms tending to press lightly the free ends of the arms in the direction of the adjacent narrow belt, separate envelope feeding means each comprising feed roller means mounted to turn about vertical axes beyond the ends of the stop arms and beyond the end of the horizontal belt in substantial alignment with the pressure arms for feeding respective envelopes to the feed roller means from those that may have been momentarily restrained from advancing by the stop arms, a guard member partially enclosing one of the feed rollers formed with a slot through which a small arc of the latter feed roller extends for the purpose of cooperating therewith in driving back in a direction opposite that of the horizontal belt all envelopes engaged thereby except the envelope actually in engagement with the other roller of the pair, portions of the guard members of the respective feed roller means extending beyond the stop arms for arresting smaller envelope groups which are not bulky enough to engage the stop arms, a bracket mounted beyond the adjoining part of the stop arms, members symmetrically arranged and extending from opposite sides of the bracket alongside the stop arms, means formed near the outer ends of the members each for retaining one end of the guard members for the respective feed roller means, independent threaded members for adjusting the spacing of the ends of the members with respect to the bracket and thereby adjusting the relative position of.

the guard with respect to its cooperating roller, a flat spring member attached to each guard member, and a member on the bracket for detachably retaining the free ends of the fiat spring members to exert pressure on the respective guard members and thus hold the guard members in contact with the bracket supported thereby.

16. A device according to claim 17 which includes a single bracket mounted beyond the end of the belt and fixed to the vertical plate, said bracket providing a single support for the vertical plate and the parts carried thereby.

17. in a system for conveying envelopes of the character described, the combination of a horizontal conveyor belt, a longitudinal vertical plate dividing the belt into two longitudinal channels, aplurality of pairs of deflector plates, each plate of a pair disposed on opposite sides of the vertical plate and slanting in the direction of travel of the envelopes toward the adjacent edge of the horizontal conveyor belt, a common vertical pivot for each pair of deflector plates, said pivots being mounted on the vertical plate, a single spring for each pair of deflector plates mounted upon each pivot, each deflector plate being formed with a tail piece, and a common stop member disposed on the vertical plate in the path of the tail pieces to provide a common stop for the deflector plates.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

